Daylesford eating out: Cliffys, Hot Chocolate Apothecary and Daylesford Larder

 

While on a short break in Daylesford, we really enjoyed meals at Cliffy's Emporium, the Hot Chocolate Apothecary and Larder Daylesford.  The town is a great place to wander along shops on the main street and relax in cafes run by the hippies and hipsters.  It caters well for the tree changers who have escaped the big smoke for a more relaxed rural way of life that still offers the good coffee and gourmet fare of the city.  The food on offer is not cheap but it an absolute delight.

Cliffy's Emporium

30 Raglan Street, Daylesford
www.cliffysemporium.com.au

Cliffy's Emporium was established in the 1950s as a general store with a wide range of products and today the store still has many local foods and goods they on sale to the locals and tourists coming for meals, coffee and shopping.  The rustic building looks like it could hark back to the town's 19th Century gold rush days. 

Sylvia had read that the place is very popular and had booked us a table.  We were taken through the warmly painted cluttered main store through to a quieter grey room which used to be a bike shop next door.  There were free tables in that part of Cliffys o a Friday morning but later when we passed we saw queues outside the door.

Our waiter was the same guy who had served us at the Daylesford Hotel the previous night.  Being greeted with his familiar smile made us feel like we were in a quirky small town sitcom where there is only one waiter in town.  The service was a bit slow but we were on holidays and 

I had been interested in the pumpkin toast with dukka and feta but then I found out that the soup of the day was a white bean soup served with cheesy croutons and lots of coriander.  I asked to order it before it was available for lunch and was informed that the kitchen was fine with this.  This was meant to be available 20 minutes later for lunch after I ordered but the kitchen was happy to serve it early .  

It was lovely but I did not feel that including the croutons were enough of a reason to not serve the soup with bread.  Luckily Sylvia had plenty of toast and gave me some of hers.  I also added some of her greens when she said she was not going to eat all of them.

Sylvia had the Vego country breakfast ($33): fried eggs, haloumi (which she asked for instead of the goats cheese), sautéed greens, avocado, tomato, mushroom, and sourdough toast with a gruyere hash brown on the side ($7).  She raved about this and declared it her favourite of all the meals she had in Daylesford.  The haloumi with lots of golden crispy batter was really good and the hash brown with the gruyere was amazing.  And I loved that there were so many leafy greens.  It was so filling that there was plenty to share and she still brought home a tub of leftovers.

After our meal, we had a look at main room with the diners sit among the general store displays.  The shelves are stacked with preserves, condiments, and toiletries.  In one corner were straw brooms, bottles of lollies and odd shaped pumpkins.  A display cabinet has freshly baked cakes on cake stands near to a giant glowing ice cream cone that overlooks boxes of lollies and lollypops.  You can buy eggs and soap and wine and so much more.  All beautifully arranged with fairy lights and bunting.

Hot Chocolate Apothecary

22 Raglan Street, Daylesford
www.daylesfordhotchocolate.com

I noticed three businesses in Daylesford calling themselves an apothecary.  This is not unexpected in a town that welcomes alternative types: traditional healers, environmentalists and artists.  I could not pass up the opportunity to visit a cafe called the Hot Chocolate Apothecary.  The place was a charming as the name.

It was beautifully designed with wooden shelves and a steampunk brass steamer that suggested ancient wisdom was used to create the hot chocolate.    It would not have been surprising to see it filled with creatures of myth such as goblins and fairies.  Rather the few seats were mostly empty as most of the many customers seemed to be stopping briefly for a takeaway order.

When we first arrived we sat on a couple of wooden stools at the counter.  Then the two fancy vintage velvet chairs by the window were vacated and we swooped on them with delight.  We felt very smug to get the best seats in the house and were sure everyone else whether wanting a seat or not would be very jealous.

It felt like magic could be performed here with the shelves of jars of what might be a witches potions and powder.  The place was even overseen by the watchful gaze of a toy hare in vintage clothing that looked like it had come from the world of a fantasy novel.  Finally we turned our attention to the menu.

It is a rare treat for me to be in any establishment that has a long menu of hot chocolates with not a coffee to be seen.  Too often in cafes the coffee offerings seem to hold all the excitement while the hot chocolate is served a a standard offering with very little thought.  So, given that I dislike coffee and love chocolate, this was a menu that made me feel seen. 

I ordered the Semi dark chocolate classic hot chocolate ($10.50) with an option of freeze dried raspberries ($4).  It was a lovely hot chocolate but not quite as dark and bitter as I like.  Next time I might try the Dark hot chocolate.  Though if I went again I would prefer not to be so full from brunch nearby at Cliffys.  We had looked longingly at the French and Italian hot chocolates that came with a croissant to dip in but just would not face such a filling option.  

Sylvia was absolutely delighted with her Deluxe Experience ($12.50): "our signature house blend topped with fresh whipped cream, choccy crumble and toasted marshmallow, served with a spoon for gooey yummy mixing".  She even was able to have this indulgent drink with soy milk for the hot chocolate so that she could keep her dairy intake down (the cream of course was still dairy).

One of the pieces of magic performed in the apothecary was that my pot of hot chocolate was not only wonderfully hot rather than so many warm "hot chocolates" I encounter but it also stayed hot for the second cup.  It was great we were able to have our hot chocolates before it got warmer later in our visit.  I hope we can visit again one chilly day when we are really hungry!

Larder Daylesford 

57A Vincent Street, Daylesford
www.larderdaylesford.com.au

After the Emporium and Apothecary I now turn to our visit to the Larder.  Yes the folk in Daylesford do have a way with words.  You can see a picture of the interior at the top of the post but the above picture shows the lovely counter of different coloured planks of wood.  If you go to Daylesford Covent the curret exhibition by Cecilia Cabalquinto includes a watercolour and ink image of the Larder Daylesford.

The Larder was a place of elegant rural simplicity with the menu that might have had inspiration from the influx of artisan farmers and paddock to plate chefs that have flocked the Daylesford over the past few decades.  It was hard choosing a lunch venue in Daylesford.  We had initially decided upon Harvest Cafe's breakfast menu had closed and we had been set on a tofu scramble.  This was a most excellent second choice.

We started with drinks.  I had a bottle of Strangelove Mandarin soda.  Sylvia went all hipster and ordered an iced soy Biscoff latte.  She loved dipping her Biscoff biscuit in the latte and was pleased with her choice.  To eat she had a generous scrambled eggs on toast  ($14) with some haloumi on the side ($8) .

I tentatively ordered the Roasted pumpkin salad with beetroot hummus, pomegranate, seasonal greens, quinoa, roasted hazelnuts and herbs with tahini dressing ($23).  I am wary of ordering roast pumpkin in cafes which can range from soft melting flesh in a charred skin to pale stringy undercooked chunks.  The Larder knew their stuff with pumpkin and had a magnificent huge wedge of roast pumpkin.  The curly kale was too raw by itself but was great with the lovely dressing.  And everything was better for the beetroot dip and quinoa.  It was a fantastic meal.

Before we left I got a peek at the gorgeous courtyard out the back with the trees in blossom glowing in the sunshine.  I think I might try and eat there next time.

And more places to eat in Daylesford...

Daylesford is indeed a tyranny of choice when it comes to places to eat.  I would return to all of these places to eat, as I would also return to the Daylesford Convent Gallery and Daylesford Hotel where we also ate during our holiday. And there were many other places would love to have eaten such as Harvest Cafe, Frangos, Sweet Decadence (with the gorgeous roof artwork) and the Himalaya Bakery in the main street.  I would have loved to get in the car to go for meals at the Lavandula Lavender Farm, Daylesford Cider, Sault and the Lakehouse.  I will also write about great ice cream by the lake at Walters and brunch at the Sunday Market when I write more about our sightseeing.

More posts on our Daylesford holiday (more to come):

• Daylesford Accommodation 
• Daylesford Hotel: a grand country pub
• Daylesford Convent Gallery 

Daylesford Convent Gallery

It was a delight to visit Daylesford Convent Gallery for the first time in almost 20 years.  The nineteenth century convent and boarding school building - where my nan went to school - fell into ruin after the Presentation nuns moved out in 1981, after ninety years in the building.  It was bought by artist Tina Banitska who restored the convent building to reopen it as a gallery in 1991.  It is a beautiful example of giving new life to an historic building.  The Convent Gallery is now the pride of Daylesford and draws in many tourists to enjoy wonderful artworks in a magnificent Victorian mansion.  

It was a short walk uphill from our holiday accommodation in Camp Street to the the gallery on the top of Wombat Hill.  I was by myself while Sylvia had a sleep in. As I reached the entrance, I was welcomed by this wooden sculpture  of a man that might well have been the gardener but symbolised so much more about the seamless bringing together of the old and the new, of history and art, and of the gallery and the museum.

While the gallery celebrates the heritage of the nuns, this means both respecting their legacy and having some fun with being in an old convent.  Back when the nuns ran this house, the rules were strictly enforced.  This did not mean there was not space for jokes and laughter.

One of the first pictures I saw was this painting on fabric by Barbara Hauser.  The two elderly woman are brimming with joy and mischief.  So many old girls of the Holy Cross College at the convent might be like this today.  My mum was taught by Presentation nuns so I am well aware of how inspirational these teachers were in educating their students to go into the world with many talents and confidence.  

In fact these two women could well be my nan and  her sister who attended the convent boarding school here in Daylesford.  The picture looks like my picture of them from my youth when they could be seen together gossiping, laughing, smoking and looking their best!

The picture was in this room that used to be the parlour.  This was where the Mother Superior would interview new families and green visitors.  The current use of the room has no pretensions to be accurately present its history but it keeps the spirit of the parlour.  It is an impressive room to welcome guests early in the visit and is a place where groups gather around the table for high tea.

I would love to have a high tea at the Convent but they are pricey at $105 per person and need to be booked in advance.  We had enough to do on this trip but maybe another time.  They do the three tiered plates with savoury bites (there are a few vegetarian ones on the menu) and sweet bakes (I really want to taste the chocolate hazelnut babka) and of course scones and cream.  A mimosa on arrival and tea served in fancy fine bone china.  We saw a few people having high tea and it looked amazing!

I love all the heritage details that have been retained around the house.  For esample, this gorgeous stained glass on the door.  I assume that the door was here when it was a convent because the IHS monogram in the artwork means Jesus.  

My first stop is the museum down the stairs past the painting of Mother John Byrne.  She was the Mother Superior of the first congregation of Presentation nuns who arrived at the Convent in 1891.  

The museum is a small basement room filled with memorabilia and written history.  I was happy to be there alone and have time to read all the stories.  Items on display included an organ, a confessional, a model of the convent, pictures of saints, stories of individual nuns, letters from the nuns and students memories.  It was delightful to see the fondness of the past students for their time at the school.

Then I went upstairs to the galleries.  This room featured Brian Nash's paintings.  He is an artist living in Dayelsford and regularly exhibits at the Convent Gallery; the exhibitions change regularly.  His paintings of scenery and buildings around Victoria (mostly the west) are recognisable to me.  Even if I don't know the exact place, I love the familiarity of the rural landscapes.

Some of Brian Nash's paintings are easy to instantly recognise.  This one of the convent with the garden archway in bloom was great to see.  This arch was just twigs when we visited but I could see the buds promising many blooms to come.
 

In the hallway is an exhibition by Cecilia Cabalquinto, a Geelong based alternative medium artist, who was born in the Philippines and moved to Australia in 2008.  Her series of ink and watercolour sketches of cafes in Melbourne and the West of Victoria include each cafes coffee in the painting.  The sepia tones reflect the browns of the hallway from the pale cream walls to the dark brown stained wooden bench and Persian rug.  It looks ecclesiastical: a waiting area to sit nervously before seeing Mother Superior.

This is a picture by Cecilia Cabalquinto of the Larder Daylesford.  When I saw it I was not to know that within hours I would be eating lunch in the Larder.  (It was great but I will write more about it in another post.)

Off the hallway was this room with Fionna Madigan artwork.  I really liked her works but was distracted by the view of the cafe over the balcony with the two story high arched windows and a bird's eye view of the people at the tables.

Next was a large room - formerly the junior dormitory - with small rooms off to the side.  More paintings and sculptures.

In one of the small rooms is an exhibition of the school girls: the uniform, class photos, trophies and more stories.

Looking at the photos made me wonder if any of these people knew my nan, or even less likely, if she was in any of the photos.  (I even texted my dad to check if one school class photo was from her year at school but I was about 7 years out!)

The next room was set up like a nun's cell.  I was struck by the simplicity of this tiny room that was more like a box room with a narrow bed, a wash basin and a prayer stand.  This was Sr Fabian's room who taught my mum.  These nuns cells were built in 1902 for nuns who looked after boarders in the junior dormitory.

The chapel, built 1904,  has been restored with original features such as the stained glass windows, the stations of the cross and the pews.  The peace and solemnity of the chapel demonstrates the respect of the Convents past.  

The altar and pews were decorated with flowers that suggested that a wedding was being held around that time.  I wonder how many former students returned here for their wedding.

Religious statues are dotted around the convent.  I like this one of Mary crushing the serpent underfoot.  It is the sort of statue we had in my parish church as a kid.

I continued walking along the building and came to a verandah with an impressive view of Daylesford.  The Catholic Church loves to build on a hill.  They make sure they are never out of your thoughts because every time you look up you see them.

I kept walking through the building through a reception room - set up for wedding - and down winding corridors, with artwork on all the walls.  The convent is a fairytale place for a wedding with the elegant chapel and so many photogenic places.

Finally I made my way up to the former infirmary where nuns who were very sick were nursed.  I had expected an infirmary to be bigger but it is quite narrow.  Surely not many beds would fit in there.  It is the one room that has not been fully restored.  A decision was made to keep it as it was with peeling paint.  It adds to the romance of the place.  Next door is the bell tower. 

I could have spent more time but I had already been there almost 2 hours, much longer than I had planned.  I headed back to our holiday home to meet up with Sylvia to head into town.  
 

The next morning we returned for scones and cream.  returned - no room in the cafe area I had remembered from earlier visits.  I must have eaten there last time because I remember the tall arched windows towering over the tables and chairs.  I'd expected to eat there but we were shown into another room.

The room where we ended up sitting was painted a striking deep blue with autumnal foliage hanging from the ceiling.  The chairs had lacy metal backs and the walls were hung with the cheerful artwork of Barbara Hauser.

We shared a plate of convent scones with jam and cream.  I was a bit disappointed that the cream was not whipped.  My mum always whips cream for scones.  Otherwise they were lovely.  I had a pot of mint tea and Sylvia had an apple juice.  

We had a quick look around the gallery.  Sylvia didn't want to linger but she was keen to head to the gift shop.  As we chatted to the lady at the counter we found out that Helen Goh was talking at the bar.  I wished that I had accidentally stumbled in there.  (Helen Goh and excellent chocolate cake are inextricably linked in my mind.)  But this was our last stop of the holiday and we needed to hit the road.

As we left,  I look at the outdoor tables and thought what a pleasant place it looks to eat.  Everything is presented so beautifully everywhere I look here.

Finally we walked down from the clouds and drove back to our day to day life at home.  I wonder what the nuns would think of this new life for their convent.  I hope they would love it as much I do.

Daylesford Convent Gallery
7 Daly Street Daylesford 3460
https://conventgallery.com.au/

More posts on our Daylesford holiday (more to come):

• Daylesford Accommodation 
• Daylesford Hotel: a grand country pub

 

Daylesford Hotel: a grand country pub

On the first night of our recent stay in Daylesford, we were tired and wanted something easy for dinner.  So we walked 5 minutes to the Daylesford Hotel, arriving rather early for dinner at 4.45pm.   We really enjoyed the amazing pizzas in the cosy crowded public bar with moss green walls and large arched leadlight windows.

When Sylvia first checked their menu online she did not feel it had lots of vegetarian options for us. Then she saw the pizza menu and had it listed as a place to eat.  As we walked there, we passed the drive through takeaway pizza option and were able to watch some of the pizzas being made in the window.

The top photo will show you how busy the bar was.  When we arrived it was heaving and we were told that if we waited by the bar we would get a table within 20 minutes.  Fortunately someone left and we got a table opposite the lovely fireplace immediately.  Although these seats are empty, I had to be quick to take this photo after the people there left and before they were quickly replaced.

Next to the fireplace was a little cosy nook of a room that looked like the place to be but of course we did not get our choice of seats.  I liked that our seat looked over towards the gorgeous leadlight window and the large archway where we ordered at the counter.
 

This fireplace is behind the bar with a list of wines.  I didn't have to wait long to order our drinks and meals at the counter, despite lots of people standing about with their drinks.  They were probably waiting for tables.

I was happy that they had an excellet range of alcohol free drinks.  There was a page and half of mocktails, soft drinks and non alcoholic beers and wines.  I had a glass of the Non 3 - Cinnamon & Yuzu white wine ($11).  It is great to see drinks menus now featuring non-alcoholic wines that have depths of flavour rather than just a sweet grape juice.  I would love to have this slightly citrussy dry white wine again.

The design of the bar was really lovely with a subtle mix of heritage and modern touches.  This barrell with a warmly glowing lamp was an example of this, as is the modern menu that still reflects old school pub menus.

We got tempted by a few dishes on the main menu such as the vegetable sausage roll and the eggplant parmagiana, But we just ordered a pizza each.  Mine was the Potato pizza with provolone, Talleggio, rosemary salt and truffle oil ($27).  It was really good with the intense cheese and flavours working well with the potato.  The crust was beautifully charred and puffed and tasted so light and tasty.  It was one of the best pizzas I have had in ages.

Sylvia ordered the Pear pizza with Brie, rocket and balsamic.  It was a bit sweet for her but I loved it with  the balance of the cheese and pear worked really well with the pile of dressed peppery rocket to cut through the sweet rich toppings.  We ended up preferring each others pizzas, which worked just fine.  They were very large and we ended up taking quite a few pieces home in a pizza box.

We were so full by the time we finished and didn't want to take up seats for too long with the high demand so we headed out as it was getting dark.  We took a last look at the leadlight window brom the other side and peeked in the windows at the bistro which was more formal but had the same elegant design without the colour.  The hotel also offers accommodation which looks lovely.

The next day when we walked to the main street I took a photo of the pub from across the road.  It is so large and impressive with two stories of cast iron verandahs from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century (there was not much about the history online).  The huge expanse of this grand old pub made it hard to fit it in the photo.  And Daylesford was so busy that I could not get a picture without people walking by.  It was a fantastic choice for our first meal of the holiday.  We left feeling happy with our bellies full, having enjoyed great hospitality from a fine country pub with great service and great food.

Daylesford Hotel 
2 Burke Square, Daylesford
[by roundabout at intersection of Vincent St, Albert St and Midland Hwy]
https://daylesfordhotel.com.au/

More posts on our Daylesford holiday (more to come):

• Daylesford Accommodation